On the Struggle to Defeat Capitalism and Imperialism in Ireland

At the dawn of the 21st century, the long struggle for Irish National Liberation is far from completed. Today Ireland and her people find themselves subjected to the interests of International Imperialism. Three giants of International Imperialism co-operate and compete with each other for dominance in Ireland, namely the US, the European Union and British Imperialism.

Between them, these three forces exploit and oppress the people of Ireland, with the aid of a domestic 'capitalist class' for their own material gain, while at the same time they compete with each other for total control.

There remains in Ireland, genuine opposition to this Imperial domination and the struggle for national liberation is close to the hearts of the Irish working class.

However the forces of Irish anti- imperialism find themselves small and isolated in 2013. While there are some very optimistic signs that the anti- imperialist struggle can be re-built, with broad appeal amongst the masses, those of us involved in the struggle for national liberation and socialism must recognise the current position of the revolutionary movement. A real, popular strategy must be put in place to win the people of Ireland to the struggle for national liberation and socialism!

In order to rebuild the struggle for socialism in Ireland to a position were in can successfully establish an Irish Socialist Republic, we must first recognise our strengths and our weakness, analysis the prevailing conditions and the main issues facing the Irish working class and map out a clear strategy for defeating capitalism and imperialism in Ireland.

It is the task of every socialist republican to win more and more people to the cause of socialism in Ireland. We can only do that by understanding the issues that face our class and by setting out a clear vision, not just of what we are against, but more importantly of the type of Ireland we are fighting for!

In short, we have to clearly identify the enemies of the working class, the obstacles to achieving socialism, the forces that can play a positive role in the anti- imperialist struggle and work day and night amongst the people to re-popularise the struggle for national liberation and socialism in Ireland.

The first step is examining the main issues facing our class today and tackling some of the main obstacles in the struggle for socialism. It is then up to socialist republicans to put out a clear strategy to over come such obstacles and to once again, unite the working class behind the demand for national liberation and socialism!

It is the opinion of this blog that the following consist of the main issues facing the Irish working class and the main obstacles in the struggle for socialism in Ireland. A thorough examination of such issues and a clearly defined strategy for overcoming such obstacles would greatly strengthen the revolutionary forces in Ireland.

1. British Imperialism and Partition
2. European Imperialism
3. The Role of the US in Ireland
4.The Ruling Elite in Ireland/ Domestic 'Capitalist Class'
5..Working Class Political Apathy
6. Lack of Working Class Organisation/ Class Unity
7. The Current Crisis in Capitalism
8. Hostile Media

Over the next number of weeks we will be running a series of articles discussing the above and offering suggestions as to how socialist republicans might address them. We welcome submissions or comments on these topics from our readers. Just send us an email at Towardsasocialistrepublic@gmail.com

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Comments (3 of 3)

1) Yes, all of those might be "main reasons" but some main reasons are more (ger)main than others. For the time being you can ignore all but 5 and 6 since you can make no headway on any of the others till you have managed to get more of the working class behind you than can meet in a phone booth.

2) Consider OTHER reasons which you might be able to find brainstorming instead of rereading your ideologies. Not sure what numbers you might want to assign to:

Lack of any vision of what this better socialist life might be like. You will convince NOBODY as long as you are trying to sell a pig in poke. Ask WHY is the working class (or much of anybody else) not interested in our message. Understand, too much "utopianism" instead of action is bad but zero utopianism means zero vision and so worse.

Tendency of all the miniscule left organizations to be mainly fighting with each other trying to gain membership (from the other organizations) instead if fighting the real enemy.

A clear understanding of the issues facing the working people of Ireland is very important for mobilising any meaningful resistance to such issues.

It's important to look at the contradictions in today's Ireland and identify the week points in the system. A discussion such as the one you have outlined would be on the right track.

I would also include the nationalisation of the private banking debt as a major issue confronting the people of Ireland and one that the elite here is weak on and indeed, standing on very shakey ground.

The inportant thing is to use theory to identify the weakness in the system and then act on it. If the left in Ireland get a coherent strategy and intelegently challenge the status quo they can win support. But it's going nowhere if the popular support of the people is not won to the anti- capitalist struggle.

Reply to "I would also include the nationalisation of the private banking debt as a major issue confronting the people of Ireland and one that the elite here is weak on and indeed, standing on very shaky ground" at:

"Interested @ Wed Aug 21, 2013 00:59"

I would agree with you regarding the "elite here is weak" relating to the MASSIVE "derivatives" gambling debts of the fascist/totlaitarian banksters, and more on this crucially important issue can found via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/jw3dk5c

"VERY DANGEROUSLY WEAK" I would say.

The basics of a KNOWN solution are included in the section just below.

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"Money is the creature of law, and the creation of the original issue of money should be maintained as the exclusive monopoly of national government. Money possesses no value to the state other than that given to it by circulation. Capital has its proper place and is entitled to every protection. The wages of men should be recognized in the structure of and in the social order as more important than the wages of money [interest]."

"No duty is more imperative for the government than the duty it owes the people to furnish them with a sound and uniform currency, and of regulating the circulation of the medium of exchange so that labour will be protected from a vicious currency [private bank-created, interest-bearing debt], and commerce will be facilitated by cheap and safe exchanges."

"The available supply of gold and silver being wholly inadequate to permit the issuance of coins of intrinsic value or paper currency convertible into coin in the volume required to serve the needs of the People, some other basis for the issue of currency must be developed, and some means other than that of convertibility into coin must be developed to prevent undue fluctuation in the value of paper currency or any other substitute for money of intrinsic value that may come into use."

"The monetary needs of increasing numbers of people advancing towards higher standards of living can and should be met by the government. Such needs can be met by the issue of national currency and credit through the operation of a national banking system. The circulation of a medium of exchange issued and backed by the government can be properly regulated and redundancy of issue avoided by withdrawing from circulation such amounts as may be necessary by taxation, re-deposit and otherwise. Government has the power to regulate the currency and credit of the nation."

"Government should stand behind its currency and credit and the bank deposits of the nation. No individual should suffer a loss of money through depreciation or inflated currency or Bank bankruptcy."

"Government, possessing the power to create and issue currency and credit as money and enjoying the right to withdraw both currency and credit from circulation by taxation and otherwise, need not and should not borrow capital at interest [from the private banking system or their affiliates] as a means of financing government work and public enterprise. The government should create issue and circulate all the currency and credit needed to satisfy the spending power of the government and the buying power of consumers. The privilege of creating and issuing money is not only the supreme prerogative of government, but it is the government's greatest creative opportunity."

"By the adoption of these principles, the long-felt want for a uniform medium will be satisfied. The taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest, discounts, and exchanges. The financing of all public enterprises, the maintenance of stable government and ordered progress, and the conduct of the Treasury will become matters of practical administration. The people can and will be furnished with a currency as safe as their own government. Money will cease to be the master and become the servant of humanity. Democracy will rise superior to the money power. "